So the semester has already started and I'm still trying to figure out where my summer went. The study abroad trip was by far one of the highlights of my college years thus far and I feel like I could go on forever about what a great experience it was. Going in to the trip I felt fairly prepared as to what to expect mainly because of my previous experience of traveling to Europe. Being in Germany, however, was quite different from my two week "see all of the main tourist attractions, take a picture, and on to the next city" trip two years ago. I also had the opportunity to be much more independent and make many of my own travel plans. Living with a host family presented a completely new aspect of being in a new culture. I went in to the host family situation thinking that we would be at "home" and have "family time" much more than we actually did. I guess I didn't realize how much time we would be spending outside of Dusseldorf.
One of the main aspects of the German culture that I admire most is how they view life in general. They live in a much slower paced life and many of the materialistic things that are so important to Americans mean little to them. I also learned that they value their friendships in a different way than what we are used to in America. They don't just call anyone a friend, and only those who they have conversations with on a quite regular basis are honored with that title. As for us, if we have met a person once, they automatically become a 'friend'. Meal time is also an important part of a European's day. Eating a meal is a time to sit with those people you care about and actually partake in discussions, rather than scarf down your food and move on with the day. They enjoy what they are putting in to their mouth and make time to relax during this time. In general, they just seemed so much more laid back and seemed to take in their daily surroundings.
Besides learning about the culture, I also returned home with much knowledge about the history of medicine, World War II, German leaders and politics, current German medical applications, the way German corporations run, the ways medical care is available to German citizens, and much more. I feel that I was taking in new information every minute that I was on this trip. I also learned a lot just from talking with the other students on the trip, almost all of whom I didn't know previously. One thing that amazed me was the vast difference between how little I knew about the other students before the trip to how much I knew by the end. Being around people for that many consecutive days allows you to see others in all kinds of situations. By the end I felt that I knew some of the students better than friends from home that I have known for years.
Overall I will say once again how great of an experience I had studying in Germany. It truly does open your eyes to a whole new world and almost forces you to adapt and somewhat alter many of the ways of life you are so used to.
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